During the Revolutionary War, France became a close friend of Americans seeking freedom from Great Britain. To honor its friendship with America, France gave the U.S. a special gift: sculptor Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi's beautiful statue called Liberty Enlightening the World.

The Statue of Liberty arrived in New York Harbor on June 19, 1885. It came in 350 pieces packed into 214 crates. The statue was assembled on a pedestal base built by the United States. The 151-foot tall statue has become a worldwide symbol of freedom and democracy.

The Statue of Liberty's home is Bedloe's Island (renamed Liberty Island in 1956). From 1892 to 1943, “Lady Liberty" greeted over 12 million immigrants as they arrived on boats at the nearby Ellis Island Immigration Station.

The pedestal of the statue features words from poet Emma Lazarus that reflect immigrants' hopes and dreams for freedom in America:

The statue represents Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom. She holds a torch in one hand and a tablet inscribed with the date of the Declaration of Independence in the other.

Built in France, the statue is made of hundreds of thin copper sheets assembled on a frame of steel supports. The inner framework was engineered and designed by Gustave Eiffel. He later used the same design on the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Eiffel's design allows the Statue of Liberty to move with changes in temperature and wind speed. It also allowed staircases to be built on the inside of the statue. Visitors can climb to an observation deck inside the crown.

The outer layer of the statue is copper that's only 3/32 of an inch thick — the thickness of two pennies put together. Despite how thin it is, the copper is strong. The amount of copper in the Statue of Liberty could make 30 million pennies!

When the statue was originally assembled, it was a dull brown color, reflecting the natural color of its copper plates. Over the next 30 years, though, it slowly turned to the green color you see today.

What happened? Was it magic? Nope! It was science. A natural weathering process — called oxidation — took place when air and water reacted with the copper plates.

The engineering that went into the Statue of Liberty is very impressive. To see some rare photos of the inside and outside of the Statue of Liberty, just jump online and head over to National Geographic's Statue of Liberty Pictures page. Which pictures are your favorites? What impresses you the most? Why?

Up for a challenge? Grab some old pennies and a few common kitchen ingredients and have some Chemistry Fun with Pennies! With a bit of vinegar and salt, you can see with your own eyes why the Statue of Liberty turned green.

Wonderopolis

Bella

Nov 28, 2017

I have a question. Why was this a gift? And why are people saying it was a joke? If it was a joke it’s a pretty expensive joke they gave us! Also, how many visitors does lady liberty get a year on average?

I am a kid

Wonderopolis

Apr 2, 2018

Great question! The Statue of Liberty is made out of coppler plates, and over the years, the natural weathering process called oxidation took place when air and water reacted with the copper plates. This oxidation caused the Statue of Liberty to turn green!

JG

Wonderopolis

Apr 2, 2018

Thanks for asking, JG! We couldn't find information that stated the Statue of Liberty was given to the United States as a joke. This article from the National Park Service should provide you with more information about the Statue of Liberty.

Wonderopolis

Will

Jun 19, 2017

Something strikes me as odd. Everyone says the statue designer intended for it to patina eventually. But something doesn't add up. Accounts say it was a dull copper color when it arrived in the US.
However, the statue was built in pieces in France. Many pieces were publicly displayed as they were completed (the head, torch, and a foot, at the least).
It took 9 years to build the statue in France, and then ship to the US. In nine years, wouldn't those parts that had been displayed (or even ones in storage) not have turned green? Logic says they would have turned green, so does that mean the French cleaned off the patina before shipping it to us? If so, did they really intend for it to patina?

Wonderopolis

Jun 20, 2017

Hmm...that is some great WONDERing there! If that timeline is right, it does seem like it might have already started to change color. But maybe France did give a good cleaning first? We want to do some more research on this now! Thanks for getting us WONDERing, Will!😃

Wonderopolis

Tiersa Aliprandi Age 12

Nov 8, 2013

I really enjoyed reading about the Statue of Liberty, but I have a question. Why is the Statue of Liberty a woman? How come it couldn't have been a man or a child? By the way, this website is great! My teacher just started using it in class for many things and everyone fell in love with the creativity!!!

Wonderopolis

Kathryn Worley

Sep 28, 2013

I am a kindergarten teacher, and I can't wait to explore your website with my five year olds! We will be studying American Symbols soon and I have included this wonder as well as the Washington Monument and the Bald Eagle into our lessons!

Madi

Wonderopolis

Sep 19, 2013

Hey Madi! Thanks for WONDERing with us today! We hope you can visit the Big Apple one day, and maybe you'll see the Statue of Liberty, too! We bet you can find the answer to your question in this Wonder! :)

henry

Wonderopolis

Jul 12, 2013

Hey there Henry, we're so glad that you have been WONDERing about the Statue of Liberty with us today! Such fun! The Statue of Liberty's torch is a symbol of enlightenment. It represents that "Liberty Enlightens the World" -- it's a symbol of our freedom! :)

TJ

Jul 6, 2013

Sorry it's late. ;) Right now I'm in Clarkston, Michigan. I'm staying until Monday. But, bad news. For the rest two days we're supposed to have thunderstorms. :( :( :( :( :( Can you have your wonder friends pray so it won't storm for the next two days? ;(
I think tomorrow's wonder is that How can a deep breath calm you down when you get angry?
Your wonder friend TJ :)

Wonderopolis

Jul 7, 2013

Hi TJ, thanks for sharing your comment. We hope you're having a great time in Michigan with your friends and family this weekend. What kinds of fun games are you playing to keep you busy during these thunderstorms? We will see you soon, Wonder Friend! :)

Berkleigh

Wonderopolis

Jul 7, 2013

Hi Berkleigh, we're so glad to hear that you learned something new with us today! What fun! The Statue of Liberty will be green for years and years to come, the statue is protected by the patina formed. We Wonder if you have seen the Statue of Liberty, Berkleigh? We hope you can visit New York in the future to see it up close! :)

pancake

Wonderopolis

Nov 5, 2012

Nice work, Wonder Friend Pancake! We think you're on the right track-- the oxygen atoms and the water reacted with the copper, creating a process called oxidation, which turned the statue the green color we now recognize! Thanks for WONDERing with us today! :)

Wonderopolis

Dec 14, 2011

Thanks for telling us you think Wonderopolis is the best, Alexia! We really appreciate your kind words and are SUPER proud of you for your great grade in English! Keep up the good work, Wonder Friend! :-)

serena

Wonderopolis

Nov 6, 2011

Hi, Serena! There are so many interesting facts about the Statue of Liberty, aren't there? We haven't heard about the junkyard fact, but we will definitely check out the video your teacher showed you so we can learn some new things, too! :-)

Wonderopolis

Oct 12, 2011

Here's another really cool Statue of Liberty video that one of our Wonder Friends suggested we share! We hope you enjoy it!
http://www.history.com/videos/statue-of-liberty-deconstructed#statue-of-liberty-deconstructed

Great site with tons of good material. Be sure, I'll use it in my English classes. The information is interesting and clear.
You're choosing the questions in a "catching way"...Thanks for your marvelous job

lauren

Wonderopolis

Jun 21, 2011

You can surely write your own full-length Wonder and make/submit a video if you want to (we think that would be AWESOME, by the way), but you can also just let us know the idea of what you're wondering about in a few short words! We bet there are other Wonder Friends who are wondering about the same things you are, Lauren! Thank you so much for this comment! :-)

mm

Wonderopolis

Wonderopolis

Sep 3, 2015

Hi, Rachel! There may be salt water in the air because the Statue of Liberty is surrounded by the New York Harbor, which is salt water. However, the green color is caused by a natural weathering process — called oxidation — which takes place when air and water react with the copper plates. Thanks for WONDERing with us! We appreciate your comment! :)

Wonderopolis

Jun 18, 2011

Hi, Atalia! Did you know that Lady Liberty wasn't always green? She is made of copper that used to be a dull brown color. Over time, a natural weathering process called "oxidation" occurred, turning the brown copper green.
We think she's a beautiful sight standing there in all her glorious green wonder! Thanks so much for commenting today! :-)

Debra Isenberger

Wonderopolis

Jun 17, 2011

Welcome, Debra! We're so glad you commented today!
You can check back every day for a new Wonder of the Day®! You can also search all 250+ of our past Wonders by clicking on the category links on the right side of each interior page of Wonderopolis.org or by using the search bar at the top of the page for a specific topic. We also encourage you to let us know what YOU are wondering about by submitting ideas for future Wonders of the Day. You can do that anytime by clicking on the "nominate a wonder" link at the top of each page!
Thanks for stopping by today...have fun exploring Wonderopolis! :-)